From socks to cards and a whole host of decorative items, Addie & Sam is the new shop that’s hit Cullompton’s Fore Street.

Opened by the mayor of the town, Councillor Iain Emmett on Tuesday, October 10, the shop is named after the owner, Julie Beckett’s grandchildren.

Julie said: “I thought it would be nice to name it after them so they can look up and see their name in lights one day.

“We went through a lot of names for gift shops, but it seems a lot of good ones are taken online, so this is nice and individual and unique to us.”

The shop was opened on Tuesday, October 10 by the Mayor of Cullompton, Iain Emmett

Mrs Beckett has spent two months preparing for the opening day of the shop and says she has enjoyed meeting dozens of new people from Cullompton in the process.

“I’d like to welcome everybody to the shop,” she said. “Feel free to come in and have a browse anytime and don’t feel obligated to buy anything, just had a good look. We’ll be getting a lot more stock in for Christmas, and I’d just like to meet everybody that lives in Cullompton.

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“Hopefully you will see things they don’t see in other shops around, perhaps save a trip to Exeter to do gift shopping, prices that are reasonable and a nice experience of shopping among pretty things.”

This is the first time Julie has ever owner her shop, but she brings a wealth of experience from her homeland, Australia, as well as living in New Zealand, Canada and the United States. She has also lived in England between destinations.

Sam tries some of the Devon Orchards honey on sale

She added that she’s now inherited a refurbished home near Cullompton from her daughter and is here for the duration.

She said: “I love browsing in gift shops. I’ve spent a lifetime living in places where tourists are visiting and going into the gift shops and tea shops and I just enjoy it. I’ve put things in here that I would like to buy myself.

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“I’ve worked in a gift shop like this before in Cairns in North Queensland where there were a lot of Japanese tourists. Apart from that, I’ve never actually owned my own gift shop.

“So far it’s been good fun. I’ve met a lot of the local people in the process, and it’s just been about putting all the things together. At the moment we don’t have an awful lot of things that are locally made, but I hope to get a lot more as it would be nice to promote things that are made around this area.

Julie is interviewed for our Devon Live video (Image: Ashley Hellier)

Councillor Iain Emmett who opened the premises said Addie & Sam would be a welcome addition to the town centre.

He said: “What we’re trying to do is get some quality retail into Cullompton. We are a new town now regarding development, and there are people with different ideas and aspirations. Whatever we can do to get it thriving, the better.

“Julie has renovated the shop back to its original condition and has found features from 1860 which are on show now.”

The shop on Fore Street in Cullompton (Image: Ashley Hellier)

Cllr Emmett said his first purchase was some Devon Orchard marmalade.

“You look on the back, and it’s got three ingredients; rhubarb, sugar and oranges.

“No additives, just local product. That’s the quality of what’s going to be in this shop.”